Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., was the opening speaker for the second night of the 2012 Democratic convention in Charlotte. / Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

by Fredreka Schouten, USA TODAY

by Fredreka Schouten, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON - The House Ethics Committee launched a review Thursday of potential misconduct by Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-Ill., and his longtime employment of a Chicago lobbyist in his congressional office, disclosed last year by USA TODAY.

In a statement, Gutiérrez spokesman Douglas Rivlin said the review examines whether "a long-standing contract" was permitted under House rules.

The ethics committee review does not imply that Gutiérrez has violated any rules, the panel noted in its statement. It has until May 5 to announce what action, if any, it will take.

The case was referred to the Ethics Committee last December by the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, or OCE, which conducts preliminary reviews of allegations that House members have violated ethics rules.

"Rep. Gutiérrez cooperated fully with the OCE during its review and will continue to do so with the committee," Rivlin said.

In June, USA TODAY reported that Gutiérrez had paid a Chicago lobbyist more than $500,000 in taxpayer funds to work side by side with his congressional staff for a decade. The lobbyist, Doug Scofield, earned several thousand dollars a month as a paid contractor to train staff and help craft news releases among other functions.

Scofield, a former Gutiérrez chief of staff, also continued to represent clients in his public affairs and lobbying practice.

At the time, Rivlin said Scofield's contract had been reviewed many times by a House panel that oversees congressional spending without raising any alarms.

A week later, however, Gutiérrez ended the contract with Scofield. Rivlin said at the time that neither the congressman nor Scofield had done anything wrong.

In his statement Thursday, Rivlin reiterated that the contract under scrutiny was "reviewed and approved" by the House and submitted for renewal for 10 years. "It was consistently and properly reported," he said.

Gutiérrez, an 11-term congressman, is a leader of Democratic efforts in the House to overhaul the nation's immigration system.